Variety of options for those returning to school in Northeast Ohio

Richard Payerchin/RPayerchin@MorningJournal.com
Lorain County JVS precision machining technology student Zachery Stimmel of Elyria adjusts the controls of a Haas Automation Inc. machine at the JVS learning lab. Stimmel and students Joshua Grizzell of Elyria and Alberto Torres of Oberlin will graduate from the program in June but already have full-time jobs lined up.

Lorain County Community College, Lorain County JVS and Ohio Means Jobs — Lorain County have different locations but similar philosophies.

“We are working very hard to design and deliver education and training that is based on competencies that employers value when they are filling job openings and we are really focused on student success,” said Terri Burgess Sandu, executive director of workforce development and director of LCCC’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute.

Lorain County adults can be part of a new program, WIN, the Workforce Innovation Network, a partnership with Lorain County JVS, LCCC and Ohio Means Jobs — Lorain County. The program began offering courses and new certification programs in January 2014.
WIN, Ohio Means Jobs and the college also have created TechNET, a new training program for entry level technical positions. Eight area companies have signed on as partners for the program.

Advertisement

The goal is to develop talent in Lorain County’s workers.

“We’re doing this because it’s an economic imperative as well as it’s the right thing to do for people,” Sandu said.

Staff at Lorain County JVS and Ohio Means Jobs — Lorain County also work together to help students find the financial aid and the moral support to embark on a new career.
Federal Pell Grants may be available to help students pay for school. A good start is for students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, said Becky Dandurand, student services coordinator and financial aid director for Lorain County JVS.

Some eligible workers also could qualify for occupational skill training funds through Ohio Means Jobs. The program offers up to $7,500 a year or $15,000 for a two-year certifications.
Reach Ohio Means Jobs — Lorain County at 440-324-5244. Orientation sessions are held at 8 a.m. each Wednesday and are a good way to learn about services available through the agency.

“They’re a very strong partner of ours, Ohio Means Jobs — Lorain County, because most of our students are displaced workers or single parents,” said Kit Tyler, director of the adult career center of Lorain County JVS.

The transition back to school can be difficult for adults, the education officials said.

People may graduate from high school, get a job, then lose a job. They may be diligent, reliable workers, but then they discover their skills are not what the job market requires, Tyler said.

“So many of our students never intended to walk through the door of a school again,” she said.
Information sessions also are a good start for prospective students to learn about specific programs and generally returning to the classroom.

“We try to talk to them about all the different resources we can offer them to make the process easier,” Dandurand said.

Students meet the lead instructor, who is clear about expectations for attendance; students also see the facilities before deciding if they want to continue with an assessment for financial aid.

In classes, students are grouped into cohorts who help each other study and keep current with their course work.

The results can be impressive.

Lorain County JVS’ machining program offers “everything you need to start your machining trade,” said Zachery Stimmel, a student from Elyria. “My buddy took this class last year, he told me to take it this year,” Stimmel added.

The program teaches students to write the codes that the computers read to guide machines that create other machine parts from raw metal.

The course has 90 percent placement each year, said Ralph Bentley, program developer for the machining program.

Stimmel and fellow students Joshua Grizzell of Elyria and Alberto Torres of Oberlin will graduate the 600-hour course in June, but already have full-time jobs lined up.

“There’s jobs out there,” Bentley said. “We’ve just got to put the right people in the right places with the right skills.”

Muha said people look to change their careers for many reasons. Some people have been laid off and others have taken early retirement packages and still feel like they have 10 or 15 years of work left in them.

Tri-C has programs that get workers the training and certification they need to get into their new careers quickly. Programs generally last about 4 to 15 weeks depending on the program.

“A lot of people coming in have one, two, even four years of college already,” Muha said. “They don’t want to go back to school for multiple years.”

Muha said Tri-C recently started a software development program. Workers go through 12 weeks of training before taking an internship. She said 12 companies are involved in the program.

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) operators are another area of focus at Tri-C. Muha said there is a growing need for CNC operators as well as a number of projected retirements over the next 5-10 years. She said Tri-C is working with Swagelok in this program.

Other programs offered include truck driving, network support and medical coding and billing.

While some people have skill sets that are transferable to their new careers, Muha said others are choosing to go into completely different fields.

Muha said age is not a concern for people looking to change their careers.

“It doesn’t have to be a detriment at all,” she said, adding that many of the workers in their programs have had years to develop good work habits, which is something that recent graduates don’t necessarily have yet.

While the short-term programs are designed to help people get back into the workforce quickly, Muha said Tri-C also offers yearlong programs.

These programs, she said, are generally filled by people who have a little more time, such as people currently working in careers they want to get out of and are taking classes in the evening while working during the day.

Marcy Trew, Auburn Career Center’s Adult Workforce Director, said the center’s short-term options allow workers to brush up on their computer skills or learn new computer skills for future opportunities.

These options include classes in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Three “levels” of each program are offered.

Students learn the basics of the programs in the level one courses and learn more advanced techniques in levels two and three. Classes generally meet in two three-hour sessions, though longer single-day “boot camp” sessions are available for some sections.

Short-term offerings also include training to become administrative assistant & office specialist.

Trew said the class meets four days a week for several weeks. The course includes a one-week internship.